Construction union UCATT are furious after the leader of the construction bosses attempted to dismiss key findings of One Death Is Too Many, Rita Donaghy's Government commissioned report into construction safety.
Before the ink was even dry on the report Stephen Ratcliffe the Director of the UK Contractors Group claimed that there was "no justification" for the extension of Gangmasters Licensing Act to the construction industry.
Alan Ritchie, General Secretary of UCATT, said: "Once again the true colours of the construction bosses have been revealed. Usually they claim that the safety of workers is their key priority and they are committed to reducing construction deaths. These are just crocodile tears. Every time the bosses ability to ruthlessly exploit workers is even questioned, they drop any pretence of being interested in safety."
When recommending that the Gangmasters Act should be extended to the construction industry. Ms Donaghy, said: "Society should accept that there needs to be a standard below which no construction worker should have to work."
Mr Ritchie, added: "The Government did not take early action on regulating Gangmasters because they accepted the distortions made by Stephen Ratcliffe and construction bosses, that casualised labour was not a problem in the construction industry. Rita Donaghy has seen through these fantasies and recognised what is really happening in the industry."
It is the second time this year that the commitment of major construction companies to improve safety has been revealed to be less than wholesale.
In March it was revealed that 42 major construction companies had been blacklisting workers. The files of the company holding the blacklist, the Consulting Association, revealed that health and safety representatives and whistleblowers concerned about dangerous sites, were especially targeted and therefore denied work.
(CD/JM)
Time and date
CONSTRUCTION DIRECTORY
Construction News
10/07/2009
Construction Bosses Reveal Their True Colours On Site Safety
Latest Construction News
07/05/2024
Vinyl flooring has become an essential choice for children's rooms, living rooms, and hallways. Whether in your own home or a rental apartment, ...
07/05/2024
Family-run flooring experts Woodpecker Flooring are celebrating the craftsmanship that goes into their hand-finished boards with a specially curated collection. The Artisan Interiors collection showcases the handcrafted flooring created by Woodpecker’s experienced craftspeople. The three-strong ...
07/05/2024
Eclectic interiors brand Where Saints Go has launched a new seating collection inspired by timeless Scandi style. The Scandi Edit brings together five statement seats, typified by sleek lines and wooden finishes. Each seat has been handpicked for its versatility, ensuring they not only complement ...
03/05/2024
Construction firm GRAHAM has started building work on a £19 million Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) in Workington town centre. The Centre will be located next to Cumberland Council's government-funded Innovation Hub which is also under development in Central Way. GRAHAM is the principal ...
03/05/2024
Significant progress is being made on a new £2 million recycling centre in Haverhill. Construction works are being completed by FCC Environment and its contractor DXI Regeneration Ltd, on behalf of Suffolk County Council. The facility will be operated by FCC Environment, which manages all of ...
03/05/2024
Midlands contractor G F Tomlinson has started work on a new primary school in Dunstall Park Estate, Tamworth. The work is taking place on behalf of Staffordshire County Council alongside project managers and concept architects, Entrust. The project was procured through the Constructing West ...
03/05/2024
Galliford Try has made another step in its carbon reduction journey with the deployment of a new digital platform across its Infrastructure projects. The platform, Qflow, automates data capture and processing by extracting information from delivery and waste tickets, using Artificial Intelligence ...
03/05/2024
Underfloor heating is the most efficient method of heating a room and is fast becoming the most popular option for new building and property refurbishments. As a result, more trade professionals are being asked to install underfloor heating and self-builders and renovators are using it as their ...
03/05/2024
Farrans is making significant progress at Barsham Water Treatment Works in Suffolk, where its client Essex and Suffolk Water is investing more than £49 million in upgrades to the site. Due to be complete in 2025, the project will provide improvements to the resilience and quality of drinking ...
03/05/2024
Work has been completed on a new bridleway bridge at Lindsells Level Crossing in Biggleswade, Bedfordshire. Work started in December 2022 on the fully accessible bridleway bridge which allows pedestrians, horse riders, cyclists and other users to safely cross the railway line, providing better ...